Blackthorn Cottage

A beautiful stone-roofed, off-grid, artistic hideaway in the heart of the hills. Perched high on the slopes of the Black Mountains in the midst of the Brecon Beacons National Park, enjoy the views and night skies from the terrace, or stride out for endless trails through bluebell woods and ancient meadows.

Crickhowell is ten minutes’ drive away with local traders, a handy mountaineering shop, pubs and plenty of coffee shops. Abergavenny, of Food Festival fame is ten minutes in the other direction, a thriving market town forming the heart of Wales foodie revolution. Cathedral towns of Brecon and Hereford are also within easy reach, as well as Wales Industrial Heritage sites in Blaenavon. Nearby attractions include beautiful walks directly into the Black Mountains and Sugar Loaf Mountain, cycle hire available with National cycle routes and mountain biking centres throughout the area. Pony trekking throughout the nearby Llanthony Valley, fishing on the River Usk, canoeing on the River Wye and high wire and zip wire adventures at Llangorse Lake.

The heart of this much-loved family home is the kitchen, with wood-fired range, gas hob, small gas oven and grill, fridge and freezer. Historic stone steps lead up to the vaulted sitting room which doubles as an extra bedroom . It has two arm chairs and a single bed (with pull out trundle) along with the wood burner (first basket of logs included), TV.  There is also a wide selection of books and some games available. A washing machine is available in the small utility area off the lounge. Upstairs is the master bedroom with king-size bed, full size bath and plentiful cupboard space. There is also a bath and shower room with WC. Head back down the stairs to the study area, with desk and incredible views out to the surrounding countryside.

Outside is the stunning terrace area with garden furniture and BBQ, woodland, and also the wind turbine and solar panels, the natural spring, and log stores. There is a rustic wood fired sauna, which is shared with the sister property Hillside Barn which can be found lower down the hillside and is completely separate and private to Blackthorn.

Please note that the property is Off-Grid and it is particularly well-suited for guests interested in reducing their environmental footprint and using resources sparingly. The water is from the spring, power from wind and sun, heat from logs, and the Wi-Fi is (unlimited) 4G. Fossil fuel support (for when eco-equilibrium proves challenging) is present in the form of a diesel generator and oil-fired central heating.

• 1 bedroom – king-size, plus 1 additional single bed in the lounge ( with pull-out trundle)
• 2 bathrooms – 1 en-suite shower room with WC, and 1 en-suite bathroom with bath, shower and WC
• Wood-fired range stove, gas hob, small gas oven and grill, fridge, freezer and washing machine
• Wood burner
• TV, Bluetooth speakers
• Cot and highchair available on request
• Terrace area and garden, plus guests can explore the private on-site woodland and glade
• Children need to be supervised with external steps and steep drops in the garden and terrace area
• Dry storage available for bikes
• Shared wood-fired sauna with Hammam towels and outdoor shower (shared with neighbouring cottage)
• Parking for 2 cars
• Shops, pubs and restaurants 3 miles
• Sleeps 2 + 2
• Please note that this is an eco-retreat, so we ask that you avoid excess water usage and turn off taps when not in use, and turn off lights when leaving rooms empty to avoid burning diesel unnecessarily
• The cottage is accessed via a steep concreted track, which is best tackled in first gear to the top
• Arrival: 16:00 onwards
• Departure: before 10:00, unless otherwise stated in your arrival details
• 2 dogs allowed. Dogs are charged at £20 each per full or part week
• There is an Accidental Damage Deposit of £200 when booking at this property, however this may be waived for £25. We’ll provide more details about this when booking your holiday.